It's showtime: Cavs, Celtics prepare for clash

Enjoy the show might be the best words of advice for fans entering Quicken Loans Arena tonight.

Chris Beaven

Enjoy the show might be the best words of advice for fans entering Quicken Loans Arena tonight.

The Cavaliers and Celtics meet tonight at 7 as two of the NBA’s better early-season storylines collide -- the incredible one-man show of Cleveland’s LeBron James vs. the rebirth of Boston led by Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen and Paul Pierce.

James enters the game in the midst of an historic stretch that has helped the Cavs (8-6) win three straight for the first time. Boston (11-1) also has won three straight as the addition of Garnett and Allen have helped the Celtics go from Eastern Conference doormat to favorite.

Garnett’s work, 20.9 points and 12.7 rebounds a game, makes him one of the early favorites for the MVP award. James’ play has been even more remarkable with a stretch of three triple-doubles in the last six games.

Not that James is focused on stats.

“I go out and do my job and help us win,” James said after a triple-double Sunday in a 111-106 Cavs win at Indiana. “The numbers and things will work out for themselves as long as we win.”

James was named the NBA’s Eastern Conference Player of the Week for his performance this past week. He led the Cavaliers to a 3-1 record by averaging a league-high 36.5 points to go with 9.5 rebounds and 8.5 assists per game and 53.1 percent shooting. He has won the award 11 times.

Over the last six games, James averaged 37.5 points, 10.2 rebounds and 9.5 assists. Only Oscar Robertson (Jan. 29-Feb. 9, 1965) and Wilt Chamberlain (March 7-16, 1964) have ever posted at least those numbers over a six-game span.

“He’s an amazing talent, an amazing player,” Cavs head coach Mike Brown said after the Indiana game. “I’m glad I have the opportunity to sit on the sidelines, and at times, enjoy this.”

For the season, James is averaging 31.3 points, 8.3 rebounds and 8.1 assists. The assists are coming thanks to his understanding of defenses and his teammates’ ability to take advantage of the attention James receives.

With defenses double- and sometimes triple-teaming James, Cavs shooters find themselves with plenty of room to shoot. Indiana and Toronto both were burned time after time by Daniel Gibson, Damon Jones and Sasha Pavlovic.

They combined for 18 3-pointers the last two games, as the Cavs have made 24 of 54 as a team in that stretch.

“There’s no way you can guard our team if we’re making shots like that when you double me,” James said.

Brown loves the way the Cavaliers are spacing the floor around James, and how his superstar has a knack for making the right decisions.

“He’s so unselfish, its amazing,” Brown said. “He knows when to go, when not to go, when to make the pass. And not only is he trusting his teammates, but his teammate are doing a better job of reacting to the double teams.”

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